Carroll County Board of Commissioners Open Session – October 29, 2026

The Board of Carroll County Commissioners held an open session on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the County Office Building in Westminster. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance, a moment of silent reflection, and Priority Carroll announcements, including a proclamation declaring November 4–11 as Operation Green Light for Veterans. Commissioners approved multiple funding requests, contracts, and technology upgrades, discussed cluster subdivision regulations, and directed staff to prepare a public hearing for a potential land transfer to the Veterans Independence Project (VIP) for a Freedom Center. All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

• Item 2 – Farm Museum Security Cameras: Approved funding not to exceed $150,000 from the reserve for contingency to install security cameras at the 145-acre Farm Museum.
• Item 3 – Farm Museum Fair Mill Reconstruction: Approved the project with a $100,000 budget, funded by the museum's Patron's Endowment Fund.
• Item 4 – Friends of Robert Moton MOU Addendum: Approved the addendum and directed facilities staff to begin planning meetings to build out an African American history museum at the former Robert Moton High School.
• Item 5 – Park Field Restoration Funding Advisory Sub-Committee Charter: Approved the charter, authorizing the sub-committee with Chair Gary Davis and Deputy Chair Don Gerkin to develop recommendations for field improvements.
• Item 6 – Generator for Patapsco Valley Wastewater Pumping Station: Awarded a $177,192 turnkey contract to Fidelity Power Systems for a 180 KW replacement diesel generator.
• Item 7 – Additional Cost for State's Attorney's Office Testing: Approved a $25,000 change order for construction testing and inspection services due to unexpected underground water.
• Item 8 – Hammond Avenue Storm Drainage Pipe Replacement: Awarded a $296,000 contract to Kibler Construction Co., Inc. for replacing 1,300 feet of storm drain pipe.
• Item 9 – 2026 Pipe Culvert and Storm Drain Rehabilitation: Awarded a $1,730,750 contract to Pleasants Construction, Inc. for cured-in-place pipe lining at 87 locations on 31 roadways, saving an estimated $1.9 million vs. full replacement.
• Item 10 – Resolution C-27.01 for CCPN Phase III: Approved a $9,000 budget transfer for the network upgrade.
• Item 11 – CCPN Phase III Upgrade Purchase: Approved a $1,533,712.34 purchase from Skyline Technology Solutions, LLC–the final phase replacing end-of-support hardware at county and elementary school locations.
• Item 12 – Virtual Timecard Interface (VTI) Clock Upgrades: Approved a $64,240 purchase from IntelliTime Systems Corporation to replace 16 end-of-life time clocks across county facilities.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Vincent Vertico (chaplain, American Legion Post 120 and VIP): Spoke in support of establishing a Freedom Center for veterans, describing a one-stop resource hub for physical/mental health, housing assistance, case management, and benefit navigation. He stressed that the center would complement existing services and urged the board to continue its support.

Discussion Items

• Cluster Subdivisions (Item 13): Consultant Troy Truax (Michael Baker International) presented findings and best practices on cluster development, recommending potential code amendments to improve design standards, open space usability, and long-term stewardship. Commissioner Krebs raised concerns about net vs. gross density calculations, lack of design requirements in current subdivisions, and high HOA fees that provide minimal amenities. She noted that the Freedom Master Plan originally intended net developable acreage and that later code changes (adding "gross") have led to dense, poorly designed projects. Commissioner Guerin argued that net vs. gross is less important and that clustering saves infrastructure costs. Commissioner Gordon favored referring the matter to the Planning and Zoning Commission now rather than waiting for the master plan update. After debate, a motion to direct staff to work with the Planning and Zoning Commission on potential amendments to Chapters 155 and 158 passed 4–1 (Commissioner Krebs opposed).

Key Outcomes

• All contract awards and purchase approvals listed under Consent Calendar passed unanimously.
• Cluster Subdivision Referral: The board voted 4–1 to send the consultant's recommendations to the Planning and Zoning Commission for further evaluation and possible code amendments.
• VIP Freedom Center Land Transfer: The board unanimously agreed to add to the November 5, 2026 agenda a motion to direct staff to schedule a public hearing on a land transfer for the Veterans Independence Project's Freedom Center.
• Approved closed minutes from October 22, 2026 for land acquisition.
• Agenda for November 2–6 and November 9–15 reviewed and adopted, including a delayed start on November 12 due to a veterans breakfast and the formal farewell to retiring County Attorney Tim Burke.
• Operation Green Light for Veterans Proclamation read by Commissioner Guerin, with presentations from the Division of Aging and Disabilities and the Veterans Advisory Council highlighting services and success stories.